HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 235, 27 June 1908, Page 9

HOCKEY.

[By Dkivek.]

1 1 Owing to the inclement weather last Satuiv ' day,,, ail 4^ho.. Association's fixtures [ were postponed, aim.oll account of tho. test 1 match tc-day,-no'hockey, will be played.1 , Tho fallowing is an extract from an article which' appears- in, an English, paper called the "Hockey i-'iold-'and. Golf Green,"' and may, i provu.'ot some interest to lady readers. The ; writer, a "Mr.. Lewis Roalfe, who is captain , of tho Heme Bay Hockey Club, claims to" have knowledgo as to- the benefits ..'derived ■by from, athletics.-: The extract is as tollows" As I have'so often been-asked for ,'an' opinion in referenco to ladies' hockey as compared with men's, I. slibuld like to say 1 hero,that thero is at this stage of the' gamo very little difference,- taking into consideration the relativo ,strength arid; pace.- It is: possible for' 1 ladies' teama to be quito as clever as men's, so far as the play, of-.the.'gamo.-is 'concerned, and .this is! the only sensible , comparison ■to make. ' I have noticed that writers on the gamo often , spoak with ridicule of ladies' heckey. I fail ;' to see where this comes in, 1 except in the imagination of . the . writers, and I know that| among .athletes it has no •existence. , Thoso who know how difficult it is to excel aro mora X)rone to admiro than to ridicule those v.-ho strivo to play well, whether ladies or men." At a meeting of the Now Zealand Council held'last'Wednesday evening it. was decided that the diffor'ent ladies'- associations should bo allowed to affiliate, but their delegates wcro to liavo pbwer only to deal with matters concerning ladies'clubs. It was rathor a curious .tiling that-some delegates, who. wero very - keen on granting affiliation to the Ladies' ■Association, were- strongly opposed to tho decision as regards delegates sitting on two Associations, on the grounds that it was' almost .impossible -to obtain delegates. . The prospects for plenty of matches for the Northern tour of tho Canterbury team are at present looking-very bright. It Taranalci defeat Auckland" in their match with them on July 4, Canterbury will play them 011 tho 9th of the same month. Tho Canterbury team will then proceed to Auckland and play, that provinco 011 tho 11th, and it i 3 "also proposed, if arrangements can ba mado, to play . Thames at Auckland 011 tho 13th; and Wellington at Wellington 011 tho 15th. .. . , Tho selectors (says a Christchurclr exchange) aro to bo congratulated upon the ' team thoy have picked to represent Canterbury for tho challenge match, and if the team as it stands now is able to get away they should certainly bo'' ablo to' give- a good no- : count of themselves.. The selection was cortainly a very great undertaking, thero boing so many players who aro equally deserv. ' ing of a place, and wo can rest assured that if-some of the favoured few am unable, to get away that' tho selectors will easily uud othors who' can fill tho vacancies uiki who pay prove just as satisfactory.